Children have always loved to play with guns, swords, bows, arrows and other various fake weaponry. Toy weapons are toys that mimic real weapons, but are designed to be fun for children to play with and not dangerous. From a hand-carved wooden replica to factory-produced pop guns and cap guns, toy weapons have come in all sizes, prices and materials from wood to metal. Plastic guns have been around for decades which included various lights and sounds when the trigger was activated. More recently, a laser tag game included a gun which emitted various infrared beams that could be registered upon a target. Sometimes these targets were worn on or around the body and could register a sound or noise when a target was hit. However, these laser tag games required expensive electronics to sense the infrared beam and then produce a sound when hit.
One of the more interesting materials which has intrigued toy manufacturers is that found in materials which are generally described as “luminescent”. Luminescent materials are often described as “glow-in-the-dark” materials due to their property of storing illuminating energy received from an external source and thereafter glowing or emitting a subdued light for an extended period of time. Various types of games and toy apparatus attempting to make use of the amusing and interesting properties of luminescent materials have been provided.
Phosphorescence is a specific type of photoluminescence related to fluorescence. Unlike fluorescence, a phosphorescent material does not immediately re-emit the radiation it absorbs. The slower time scales of the re-emission are associated with “forbidden” energy state transitions in quantum mechanics. As these transitions occur very slowly in certain materials, absorbed radiation may be re-emitted at a lower intensity for up to several hours after the original excitation. Commonly seen examples of phosphorescent materials are the glow-in-the-dark toys, paint, and clock dials that glow for some time after being charged with a bright light such as in any normal reading or room light. Typically the glowing then slowly fades out within minutes (or up to a few hours) in a dark room.
Many toys and products have incorporated phosphorescence materials. For instance, the inventor of this patent application has also invented a light activated doodler and associated electronics and accordingly the application of Ser. No. 13/654,422 filed on Oct. 18, 2012 is fully incorporated herein with this reference. However, there is always a need for something new when it comes to weaponry and other physically active play patterns. Accordingly, toy manufacturers are always looking for new and exciting ways to allow children to play with various guns, swords and bows and arrows while utilizing new technologies and methods which are safe and easy to use. Also, toy manufacturers are always looking at ways to reduce the manufacturing cost of such complicated toys such that the same enjoyment is obtained without the significant cost and complexity.
Therefore, there is a need for a new way to allow children to safely play with glow-in-the-dark toys. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides other related advantages.